margecam52

I make my own printer sheets. I use BubbleJetSet2000 to treat the fabric. Yes, it takes time...but when photo fabric is $3.00 per sheet and more...and I can get that cost down to under 40 cents...I'll put out the extra effort & time.

Also, I use my HP cp3525 (color laser printer) to print on fabric. The reason you are told not to use a laser printer is that the laser printer's heat element does not get hot enough to melt the toner into the fabric. I use my iron on a cotton setting to press the photo into the fabric.

I get wonderful results.
Marge

ckcowl

be sure to read the packages when you get to Joannes---they offer more than one kind----some are washable---some are not- some need to be dry cleaned---some are for wallhangings--items that do not get laundered.
once you choose the one that fits your needs---follow the instructions---each has it's own specific (needs) heatset, rinse, cure....
also, make sure you are using good (expensive) permenent ink in your printer---the inexpensive refills will rinse right out---they are actually made to wash out.

OrangeSherbet

Hi Marge,

I am interested in your method of transferring pictures to fabric. I have a color laser printer available.
Not sure what you do that makes it work...

Mary Lou

margecam52

I make fabric sheets using 100% cotton (sometimes a poly cotton blend, but mostly cotton only)..usually a bleached muslin (best quality)..unbleached for antique photos looks nice.

I treat the cotton with BubbleJetSet2000 per the directions (well darn close anyhows)...I don't precut the fabric ...and do up to 2 yards at one time.

http://www.dharmatrading.com
has the instructions on their site...the the best prices I've seen for BJSet2000.

Once I have soaked the fabric about 10 minutes or so (for single sheets, aprox 12" square...5 minutes is all it takes)...usually 15-20...I get sidetracked..lol.

The instructions say to gently squeeze out excess (I wring the heck out of the fabric, lol)...you then put the excess back in the bottle...you can reuse until you are out.

You let the fabric hang or lay out until dry (I make this quicker by laying the folded fabric between two towels, roll and then stand on the rolled towel..stepping across the towell to squeeze out the excess...this even after wringing the heck out of it)...2 yards hung over a towel bar will dry in a couple hours this way.

I now cut off 12" widths across the fabric (selvage to selvage)...this will result in 4 printer size sheets. If that's all I need, I fold the rest of the two yard length, put into a plastic bag...seal and mark "Photo Fabric".

Next you roll out enough freezer paper to draw out four 8-1/2" x 11" sheets of paper...I draw these out onto the freezer paper (don't cut out yet)...then take that to my ironing surface and place shiny side down...and iron the dull side with a steam iron...this shrinks the freezer paper (this is a hint I was given...and yes, freezer paper is cotton and will draw up a tiny bit)...unstick from the ironing surface...

Iron the treated 12" x 42/44" piece of fabric (Don't use water or starch...just iron with dry iron to get as smooth as you can for now). Once you have ironed the fabric...lay the freezer paper shiny side down onto the fabric and iron to adhere the paper to the fabric...I do this as if it were contact paper...as if you have to work the bubbles out.

The addition of the freezer paper will smooth 99.9% of the wrinkles (if there were any left) from the fabric.

I have a rotary cutter I use only for this purpose...I cut out along the lines I drew...just as if it were plain fabric.

Sheets are ready to print on.

I use PaintShopPro9 (I have Corel PaintShopPro x4, but not thrilled with it) to adjust any pics I want to use...I fix flaws, missing areas, add highlights, etc... whatever the customer or I want....today I took a baby out of a picture...cloned in the lady's shirt...which wasn't perfect...so put a soft focus around the faces of the two sisters in the pic...you now don't even realize the shirt clone was off, nor can you tell they are on a sofa...I'm happy with it).

Once I've printed a test pic on paper...and it's looking like I want...I print onto the fabric...I choose heavy matt paper as my medium (my laser printer has no fabric setting, shame on them, lol). Once the item prints...I take it to the ironing surface...lay it fabric side down onto a pressing sheet (teflon or silicone, whatever it's made of...this reflects heat)...and I press (don't iron, press) the back of the freezer paper...lift move, press...wait about 5 seconds each place on cotton setting (steam is ok, but not needed)..I then pull a corner of the freezer paper up...you want to see a very light imprint on the shiny side of the paper...if not there, press again.

I did the first one because a customer didn't want a super vivid look to her quilt...This was the perfect outcome. The next customer did want vivid pics...and I used the same method, but added a bit of saturation to the pics before printing...worked perfectly.

**** Forgot to mention that once the item is printed and you have pressed and removed the freezer paper...you need to rinse in cool water using BJSet rinse or a drop of dish soap in about a quart of water...rinse up and down (don't squeeze)...now I run under clear cool water and lay onto a bath towel...cover with the towel and press out excess water. If you are going to have any fading...this will be it. I recently did 12 photos & the water with the rinse was still clear....you won't get a lot of fading, unless you didn't press long enough.

I have not tried on silk or polyester type satin. I know inkjet printers work for those...but you don't have to press to melt the ink like you have to melt the toner.

One of these days I'll get brave and try satin, lol....maybe even silk...maybe.

true4uca

Not meaning to highjack your post, but I wonder if Marge's tecq, can used to make Redwork patterns. I want to try doing xmas ornaments.

ShiAnnF

Thank you for the ideas, I think I will stick with the sheets. I do not have a laser printer, thank heavens, that is a lot of work. But if you are in it to do as a business, I can see why you would want to.

C K Cowl thank you for letting me know that there are different kind. I will certainly read all the packages.

Janquiltz

Just a few more thoughts. If you want this for a quilt that is going to be used as a throw or bed cover - make your own fabric sheets using treated fabric as mentioned (you can buy the prepared for dyeing fabric). Even the really, really expensive fabric sheets do not come out soft, and the June Taiyor brand is really stiff (it was a real struggle to sew labels onto a quilt that I had printed on the June Taylor brand. Also, some printers do not happily accept a fabric sheet - but if you clip the corners off the leading edges you should be fine. I usually let my printed fabric sit for 24-48 hours before pulling the freezer paper off and rinsing - then once the fabric photo is dry, I heat set by ironing from the back. Lots of luck. PS - prior to printing I boost the colors in the photo a little, sharpen, and increase the contrast.

QuiltnLady1

I have used Printed Treasures for years -- tried the June Tailor once and hated it. The fabric used for photos is a little tigher weave (more threads per inch) to give a smoother picture so the fabric is a bit stiffer. I use the very old Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006 to oversaturate the colors (the inkjet color is absorbed into the fabric and so oversaturating the picture makes the final project look good). I always do a test print on the fabric to make sure it looks good.

Some of the fabrics need to be soaked (see directions) to get the excess color out -- and I always heat set after the fabric has been rinsed. One of my quilts with pictures is 10 years old and looks great. The only problem I have seen is that the sun bleaches them faster than the fabric.